Elon Musk’s satellite internet firm, Starlink, has announced that it will launch its service in Kenya in the second quarter of 2023.
Kenyans who want to access the service can pre-order by depositing a refundable amount of $99.
On the company’s website, Starlink will launch in Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nakuru, among other towns in the country.
About The Service
Starlink is an internet service provided by SpaceX, which uses satellites to provide broadband internet across the globe. The service is provide speeds of between 20 to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) for regular consumers, and 40-220 Mbps for business customers.
Launch In Nigeria and Local Competition
Last year, Elon Musk announced that Starlink had been approved to operate in Nigeria and Mozambique.
One of the criticism’s of Starlink is the cost associated with operating the service which could be out of reach for many African users.
Starlink will face competition from companies including Safaricom, Kenya’s leading internet service provider which offers fixed broadband as well as their recently launched 5G service.
It remains to be seen if Kenya users will opt for the Starlink service once it becomes available.
